The invention relates to a floating platform, in particular for plants for the production of solar energy.
The production of so-called alternative energy, in particular of solar energy, has been continuously rising. Due to the relatively large space required for solar power plants, the aim is to transfer them to water surfaces, in particular of the oceans (“offshore solar power plants”). Recently, various floating platforms have been developed for this purpose to carry the respective plants. Because of the requirements of a simple and lightweight design with at the same time high load capacity, the newest platforms developed are carried by air cushions.
International patent application Publication No. WO 2009/001225 A2 describes a circular floating platform having an outer ring structure and a flexible cover sealed to the upper surface of the outer ring structure, and thus defines a hollow space that can be set under over-pressure by a compressor to create the required buoyancy. The entire platform is rotatable, so that it can be oriented according to the position of the sun. In addition, the top surface of the platform can be bulged by the over-pressure which facilitates rainwater runoff.
Even though that platform is said to be suitable for land and sea use, it can be seen from preferred embodiments, in which the rotation is achieved by wheels in a ring surrounding the platform, that it is mainly aimed at use on land, i.e. floating in a circular basin.
Instead of the above outer ring, Austrian Patent Application AT 509,639 A1 to Heliovis, published after the priority date of the present application, uses a sealing element open at the bottom in the form of a wall to be immersed into the water and surrounding the platform, which wall again defines a hollow space under a planar cover element of the platform, which is filled with pressurized air. The wall can either be a flexible plastic membrane or a rigid material, e.g. sheet metal. At the bottom edge, the wall can be loaded with weights to guarantee immersion.
In addition, two such walls can run parallel with each other and divide the hollow space into an inner area and an outer annulus. The outer annulus can be divided into segments by radial partition walls. Alternatively, the entire hollow space can be divided into honeycomb or checkered sections by partition walls orthogonal to each other. Such partitions increase safety and allow the adjustment of different pressures in individual sections, e.g. to tilt the platform for draining off rainwater.
The main disadvantage of the embodiments according to the state of the art is that the individual floating platforms are not sufficiently protected against tilting due to waves, which reduces the efficiency of solar power plants carried thereon.